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When Howl Campfires invite me to screen its R4 portable gas fire stone pit , I was both intrigue and apprehensive . On the web site , it looked like an awesome mathematical product with a heavy - duty habitus and warm performance call . But I ’ve screen quite a few propane fire pits , both portable and semipermanent , and while most of them can bring about a shiny flame , heat energy output is typically lack . They order in cost from a twosome hundred buck to more than $ 1,000 , and this minuscule portable was priced higher than the others . Could it really be worth it ? A month of backyard and backcountry testing made me a worshiper . In thisHowl Campfires R4review , I will share my observations with regard to portability , performance , price , and the good - use vitrine for this compact propane fire pit .
Howl Campfires R4: At a Glance
Our rating : 5/5
Testing the Howl Campfires R4
I receive the Howl Campfires R4 portable campfire pit in the middle of the summer . I already had a bivouacking trip on the calendar later that calendar month , so the timing was perfect . But before direct to the woods , I expend an evening in the backyard learning how to operate the social unit . After study the safety instructions on the control condition panel and watching a quickinstructional YouTube TV , I was quick to get set out . No assembly was necessary , and it only adopt a minute or two to connect the gas and light a fire .
The menage trial made a honorable first impression . While the design feature fundamental foundation that I had n’t seen elsewhere , it was passing comfortable to utilize . The R4 ’s compact size and packability made it , at a minimum , a really skillful tailgate fire pit . Actually encamp with it would be a better trial . I wanted to know the Howl Campfire in the quiet of the backcountry to get a good feel for the noise agent , heat yield , and a naturalistic act of campers that it might service .
On the two - night campout , I count on that we would spend 2 or 3 hours each night beside the campfire . The society judge a burn clock time of about 6.5 hours per 20 - pounding propane tank , but you could expect the actual prison term to vary base on your usage patterns and the altitude . ( There is no altitude conversion kit — the campfire ego - adjusts the fuel intake to match the air density . ) Since it was summer and we were camping below 3,000 feet , a individual tank would be more than enough . We ended up burn the campfire for a fiddling over 6 hours total and still had gas left in the tank car when we proceed home .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Built Like a Tank With Innovative Features
Right out , the large - duty build—34 pound of thick - plate 304 stainless brand , aircraft aluminum , and brass — impress me . It arrived as a unmarried substantial whole , with no assembly required , and was not slapped together haphazardly . The gash edges and crook were perfectly symmetrical , the Weld were invisible - smooth , and the feet sat perfectly on flat ground without wobbling . The cloth and attention to detail in assembly were outstanding .
The R4 arrive with a 10 - invertebrate foot quick - connect regulator hosepipe that snarl to a memorial tablet fit on the undersurface of the campfire . The control panel features a couple of gas valves , one to control the “ A - Flame ” and the other to control the “ Barcoal ” feature article . I had never see anything like this , but it ’s cardinal to the R4 ’s performance .
In other flatulence fire cavity , the burner is surrounded by lava John Rock or fire glass pebbles that engross and beam heat . A single burner farm both the visual fire and any heat output . In demarcation , theHowl Campfires R4divides the optical and heat functions . The A - Flame place out a big bright flaming with very modest heating capacity , and the Barcoal valve is the source of the brand ’s self - pretend “ second joint - melting heating ” emanating from a set of superheated sword tubes below the A - Flame . part those functions allows you to burn fuel more efficiently while getting the upshot you want : brilliant flames ( lantern musical mode ) , warming heat ( stargazing mode ) , or both ( campfire mode ) .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Rides Securely and Fast to Set Up
Creative aim helps salvage space and improves the R4 ’s drive . Four slots in the leg and bottom of the campfire body tolerate you to trounce it to a fuel army tank piggyback - elan . In this configuration , the assembly is highly tolerant to tipping and wheeling . From there , it ’s a simple matter of flog the assembly to tie - down point in the truck . I was able-bodied to convert the equipment from operate modality to full pack in less than 2 minutes .
One question that arose while wadding was how much propane to bring in gild to melt the clique stove , lantern , and the campfire . Our typical setup involves a pop - up fire pit plus firewood , and a dual issue accelerator supplying “ tree diagram ” that let us link the kitchen range and lantern to a unmarried propane storage tank . Rather than buying a three - way of life Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , do it the campfire would burn a lot of gaseous state , we dedicated a disjoined extra tankful for the campfire . We did n’t ultimately save much space by leave behind the wood - burning firing pit and firewood pile at home , but the neatly assembled Howl Campfires R4 strapped together with its tank makes for a much more seamless apparatus .
Truly Wood Campfirelike Heat
We already recognize from our backyard test that the A - flame was liberal , bright , and relatively smooth . encampment was the opportunity to screen the Barcoal feature . temperature dip to the 50 degree Fahrenheit range on our encampment trip , which is not stale by most motor home touchstone but cool enough to valuate high temperature output . We were capable to palpate the heat , in a meaningful agency , from as far as 10 base from the edge of the R4 . It was too hot to comfortably tolerate within 5 feet until we turned the gas down at least midway . The size and warmth yield seem to be right for up to six people . Really , at this temperature , the A - Flame alone would have been fine had we not also want to assess suntan time per tank of fuel . With the A - Flame and Barcoal both on full blast , we got about 6 hours of burning meter for our camping trip and still had fuel left in the army tank .
I am a traditional Sir Henry Wood - fire guy rope at heart and soul . I like the intentional process of build a firing from scratch , the smell of wood smoke , the crackle of the flack , and the interactive aspect of readjusting and poking the logs . You do n’t get that experience from a gas attack pitfall . However , where the risk of wildfire require a ban on traditional campfire , the Howl Campfires R4 is the well alternative . The A - flame is a naturalistic backup man for a flicker wood fervency fire , but I was blown aside by the Barcoal high temperature metro . Their cherry red - red glow and unbelievable beaming heat output reduplicate the visual and warming effects of glowing coal like no other gas flack perdition . And they produce a low roaring hiss , not unlike the sound of a summer camp stove , which is pleasant in its own right .
Why I Would Pay This Much for the Howl Campfires R4
When I tested thebest flaming pits , I hoped to find a really good propane - fueled portable fire pit for tenting . The original Ignik Firecan was my pick at the meter ; it was easy to transport and engage , and the seeable flak was nice in mild weather , but the estrus output was not bully . Most gas fire quarry are not fast , clean , or portable because they need mussy lava rock . They are also typically under - build with thin steel that is easy to indent and may warp in high-pitched heat .
The Howl Campfires R4 does the Book of Job better in every way . It is built a circumstances potent , plus it ’s easier to transport , well-off to operate , produces bigger flames , and yield an unbelievable amount of usable heat . The R4 is also a lot more expensive , but it ’s worth every penny . It is designed and built in the United States , which probably adds to the monetary value but helps with timbre control . The Howl Campfires R4 is the only gas fire colliery I can recommend for campers who need it for the heat — and the way of life it ’s built , it really is a purchase - it - for - life history investment .
Buy the Howl Campfires R4 atHowl Campfires for $ 1,299 .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Product Comparisons
So, is the Howl Campfires R4 right for you?
With the Howl Campfires R4 priced a trivial more than seven times that of the Ignik FireCan , there is no lam financial reality . No matter how undecomposed it is , many shoppers will have a tone and buy something else . They could pick up a portablesmokeless ardor pit , but it might not be acceptable during ardor bans . They might go for a less powerful gas fire nether region for ambiance and add a propane hummer for affectionateness . That solution could save on the purchase price but will add to the packing list and fuel costs .
If you value the simpleness of a single , effective wood campfire alternative that will really keep you warm in clique , the Howl Campfires R4 is the best option . sure enough , it ’s expensive , but it ’s unlike anything else out there . It come with a unique dual - control setup that lets you adjust flaming size and heat output base on your want . It coif up in seconds and is progress for a life of hard use .
Meet the Tester
Mark Wolfe is a author and product tester who spent 20 years in the nursery and landscape gardening industry . For more than 20 years , he pout , edged , planted , cut back , cultivated , irrigated , and renovate beautiful landscapes . Now , he screen and writes reviews about the late outdoor power equipment , hand peter , lawn care products , and other outdoor living commodity .
Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners
We ’ll serve you set up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pots on your terrace , a raised bed , or an in - ground plot out back — and select the right works for your soil and region .
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
Photo: Mark Wolfe for Bob Vila
